Licensees encouraged to join mass rally to fight beer duty escalator

Beer duty escalator: A mass rally calling for a review will take place on 12 December

Licensees are being encouraged by the Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA) and the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) to attend a mass rally at Westminster to lobby the Government and call for the beer-duty escalator to be scrapped.

More than 1,000 people are expected at the protest on Wednesday, 12 December, which will see consumers, licensees and members of the trade meet with their MPs to push the case to axe the escalator.

The rally is the next step in the campaign, after an e-petition on the subject broke the 100,000-signatures
target.

This resulted in a three-hour debate
in the House of Commons, with MPs unanimously voting for a review of the escalator before the Budget. However, the Treasury responded that there were “no current plans
for a review”.

CAMRA campaigns officer Claire Cain told the PMA: “The beer-duty debate gained fantastic support among MPs but a lukewarm response from the Treasury minister and so now the mass lobby is more important than ever to show the strength of feeling behind this campaign and ensure that the Government sticks to its commitments.

“In particular we are urging publicans to join us and meet with their MP as saving pubs and livelihoods is where it matters.

“It’s important that those at the coalface seize this opportunity to let our politicians know the impact that this tax is having on hard-pressed pubs.

“As well as being pivotal to the campaign, the mass lobby also promises to be a fun day and an excellent opportunity to meet fellow beer and pub lovers from across the UK — you don’t need to be a seasoned campaigner, we will support you all the way and of course a pint will be on hand to toast the success.”

Licensees are being encouraged by the Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA) and the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) to attend a mass rally at Westminster to lobby the Government and call for the beer-duty escalator to be scrapped.